Cristiano Ronaldo: The $1 Billion Footballer

Cristiano Ronaldo has told Real Madrid he wants to leave if the Spanish authorities keep going after him for an alleged $16.5m unpaid tax bill.

And there will be no shortage of suiters. Football.com understands that the star’s former club Manchester United and Premier League champions Chelsea have already been in contact with the player’s agent Jorge Mendes.

PSG are also said to be very interested.

But Real don’t want to lose their free-scoring superstar – and there’s a $1 billion release clause intended to tie Ronaldo to the club.

Not even the richest clubs will realistically offer that much – but if Ronaldo is allowed to go, the price could easily double or triple the previous world record transfer fee of $116m paid by Man U to Juventus for Paul Pogba.

Ronaldo had appeared happy to stay with the La Liga champions, despite the lack of support he perceived from a faction of the supporters, but the probe into his tax affairs has changed his mind about staying in Spain.

According to the Spanish publication AA Bola, the Portugal international has taken the “irreversible” decision to leave Spain this summer.

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